Machine for reducing grain to flour and middlings



(No Model.)

OPS. RIDER.

MACHINE FOR REDUCING GRAIN T0 FLOUR AND MIDDLINGS. No. 268,729.

. frame-work, however, can be varied to any dethe grinding devices.

scribed I mount a set of devices for breaking,

' preferably attached to the framework in such theren.

which the grinding-plate E rests.

'in' the manner shown at G",'so

UNITED STATES CHARLES s. RIDER,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF CANTON, onto.

' MACHINE FOR REDUCING GRAIN TO FLOUR AND MI DDLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,729, dated December5,

Application filed August 10, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern g Be it known that I, GHARLEs S. RIDER, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Ganton, in the county ofStark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImproveinentsin Machines for Reducing Grain to Flour and Middlings, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanyingdrawings.

Figure l is a side elevation of a grindingmachine embodying-myimprovements. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof Fig. atis a horizontal section of the sliding plate or bar and a stationaryone. Fig. 5 is'a view of the operative face of the stationary plate.Fig. 6 is a simii lar view of the reciprocating plate or bar.

In the drawings I have shown the operative parts of the machine as beingmounted on a frame-work, consisting of the legs or standards A A, girtsB B, and top pieces, 0 C. The

sired cxtentwithout materiallyaftecting the essential parts oftheinvention, as will be readily understood. Upon the frame-workdecracking, or grinding the grain, consisting of a horizontal stationarysurface and a reciprocatingsurface. The former surface is formed upon anelongated plate or bar, E, which is manner as to be adjustable thereon.The attaching devices shown consist of slotted ears or arms projectinglaterally from the plate or bar E, and set-screws 0 passing throughslots This plate rests upon one of the top pieces, 0, of the frame, itsoperative face being in a vertical plane between the two saidcross'pieces G O. The set-screws c e engage with the upper side of thecross-piece 0 upon Opposite tric, H, fastened thereto,

' rocati n g plate G.

the grain to enter between the to this plate or bar there-is areciprocating plate, G, mounted parallel to the former, and adapted tobreak, crack, or grind the grain or meal betweenits operative face andthe face D of the part E. The said operative face of the part G iscorrugated, recessed, or ribbed that it may properly engage with theberries of the grain or with the particles of meal andefi ect thebreaking or cracking.

The reciprocating mechanism which I have shown consists of apower-shaft, H, an eccenand a vibrating forked lever, I. The lever I, bymeans of the forked arms t", engages with the eccentric, and

v by means of a smaller fork, at t", engages with an arn1,'g, projectinglaterally from the recip- The lever is pivoted at i to the topcross-piece, 0, though it may be secured in any other suitablestationary part. Power is-imparted to the shaft H by meansot abelt-wheel, H or in any other suitable manner, and it will beseen thatwhen the shaft is r0- tating a reciprocating movement in horizontalpaths will he imparted to the grinding-plateG.

, This plate orbar G is held in proper position vertically by means ofthe supporting cross-piece,

or by springs, and is held properly relatively to the stationarygrinding-plate by means of a guide or way provided by asupporting-piece, G behind or outside of the plate or bar G, andfastened to the top of the cross-piece O. The operative faces of thestationary grinding or cracking plate or bar E and of the reciprocatingplate or bar G are at their upper edges beveled,so as to form apassage-way to permit said operative faces. The stationary plate is atits ends formed with ears or walls 9, adapted to come in comparativelyclose proximity rocating plate, and arranged to prevent the grain orthe'meal from escaping longitudinally from between thegrinding-surfaces. The stationary bar E'is upon its operative face andimmediately below the'beveled portion provided with recesses c 6, intowhich the grain passes immediately after leaving the passageway formedby the beveled faces d and 9 After the grain has reached thesei recessesit is (when the machine is in operation) immediately caught or engagedwith by the reciprocatin g plate or bar, which operates to break, crack,or crush it into particles small enough to permit them to passdownwardly away from the plates. To permit the particles to immediatelyescape after being broken or cracked, I provide channels, grooves,orpassage-ways c e eacharranged between two of the upper initialreceiving recesses or pockets, so that in whichever direction thereciprocating plate may be moving the particles will beimmeto the recipdiately delivered to the one or the otherof the passage-ways, whichextend to the bottom of the stationary plate or bar E. After thematerial has been operated upon by the breaking or cracking surfaces itescapes through the passage-way between the top pieces of the frame, andmay be received into a hopper or any'other suitable receptacle, fromwhich it may be carried by spouts or elevators to any desired point inthe mill.

My invention is more especially applicable to producing fiourfromg'rainby whatrisrnow in the art known as the system of gradual re-.

duction-that is to say, lean employ a series of these machines havinghorizontally-arranged grinding-plates of substantially the characterwhich I have described, and pass the product of one machine to the nextin the series until it has been reduced to the required degree offineness. In the machine which first receives the grain the plate or barE is adjusted so as to merely crack the berries into large particles,preferably so as to break them into halves. After it is cracked-thematerial can he carried to any suitable scalping or cleaning mechanismfor removing the fuzz and dirt, which, as is well known, can be betterremoved after the grain has been thus treated. ltis then returned to areducing-machine similar to the one described, except that thestationary grinding-face D is adjusted somewhat nearer to thereciprocating face. After it has been operated upon, by this secondmachineit can be then carried to a cleaning device before subjecting itto further reducing operations, which latter can be carried on as longas it is necessary in substantially the way now followed in graduallyreducing grain.

If desired, all the reducing-machines of the series may be arranged in avertical line, and the material may lie-passed downward from one to theother after going through the appropriate cleaning mechanism at eachstage. If preferred, the cleaning or scalping mechanism may be arrangedin the same machine or in the same vertical series of machines.

A grinding or reducing mechanism of the kind I have described I havefound to be much more desirable than rolls, disks, or stones,

which have heretofore been used for gradual reduction. Itis well knownthat the rolls and disks can be made only at considerable cost, and thatthe mechanism employed tooperate them requires a large amount of power.

The expense of a machine of my improved character is about one-tenththat of a machine of the ordinary kind employing rolls, and the powerrequired to operate mine is about onefifth that of a roller-machine ofthe same capacity.

I do not wish to be limited to the specific form of supportingframe-work which 1 have shown, having this to illustrate in a simplemanner a practical method of carrying out my improvements. Nor doI wishto be limited to the exact form of mechanism which I have shown forimparting motion to the reciprocatin g surface, as it will be readilyseen that these devices can be easily varied by one skilled in the artwithout changing the important parts of the invention. Nor do I wish tobe limited to the exact shape of the recesses or pockets 0 in thestationary grinding-surface, or to the exact shape of theescape-channels 0 below and between the receiving ones.

J J are metal springs, attached to the barGr at the ends, and also tothe frame-work, as

- shown atj j. These springs operate to insure that the reciprocatingplate shall move smoothly and greatly reduce the power required tooperate it. Preferably these springs are so arranged as to support theplate or bar G- that is, so that it shall be flexibly mounted.

I do not herein claim any of the features which I have shown anddescribed, except the combinations specifically set forth in thefollowing claims, reserving to myself the right to claim all otherpatentable matters in another application which I have filed asadivision of this case.

What I claim is 1. Inamachinefor reducinggrain to flour, thecombination, with the reciprocating grooved, recessed, corrugated, orribbed plate, of an opposing plate having initial receptacles, pockets,or recesses e, and passage-ways which permit the material to escapeafter it has been cracked, substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for reducing grain to flour, the combination, with areciprocating grinding or cracking plate, of an opposing plate havinginitial receptacles, pockets, or recesses,

and escape passage-ways, each situated beplate, of an opposingreciprocating grinding or cracking plate, and springs arranged,substantially as set forth, to support or partially support flexiblysaid reciprocating bar or plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. RIDER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM J. PIERO, CHARLES C. MEYER.

